Two children drowned at Grand Beach Monday night.
Lifeguards pulled a 12-year-old boy and an 11-year-old girl from the water around 7:30 p.m.
The STARS crew arrived on the scene around 8 p.m. and administered “critical care” to two patients, STARS spokesperson Cameron Heke told CTV News.
After 30 minutes, it was no longer “medically necessary” to transport the patients by STARS, Heke said.
Police said the children were playing together in the water, supervised by the boy’s parents, when one of the parents lost track of the children because of the setting sun.
“Our hearts go out to the family and the Grand Beach community,” Heke said.
Both families are from Winnipeg.
RCMP said the investigation is ongoing, but it doesn’t appear to be suspicious and no charges are expected.
Even older kids need supervision while swimming: Lifesaving Society
Chris Love of the Lifesaving Society of Canada says there are many things people can do to prevent drownings.
Parents of small children should keep them within arm’s reach, he said. Even with older children and early teenagers, parents should keep an eye on them at all times.
“People often think they’re going to see drowning, they’re going to hear drowning. Unfortunately that’s not the case. A child, or even an adult, can drown in as little as 10 seconds,” Love said.
People who are drowning often don’t make much noise or splashing, he said.
Little kids should wear life jackets or PFDs when swimming, even if parents are close by.
Love also recommends people avoid swimming alone, and if possible, swim in a supervised area.
Finally, he suggests people save any alcohol consumption for after they go swimming.
“Thirty eight, 39 per cent of swimming deaths are alcohol-related,” Love said.
